How to Survive the Fae
by MikeLamp
Summary: As the trees around them collapse, Tsuna's eyes don't stray from the human trembling before him, "So tell me," he hisses, eyes glowing, "where is your King now?" She whimpers instead of answering. In a world where the fae haunt the overgrown forests and angels control the cities with an iron fist, Tsuna doesn't want to just survive anymore.
1. Let them come

No. The boy's body swayed from the dizzying realization.

No.

He shut the door behind him with his foot and took two small steps to the edge of the porch. Each breath he took was unsteady, choking. He looked at down the steps to what had fallen into his backyard.

Bad. This was bad.

He stumbled down the steps, his legs almost failing him. A gasping breath made him stop rigid on the grass. He didn't dare tear his eyes from the figure laying face first on the ground.

His breathing changed from uneven to dangerously fast. He kept his distance. A good ten feet from that thing.

Why now? They had finally settled in. Kinda. Well, not really, it was still bad, but it had been worse before. But now? Fuck. One pair of arms fisted into his shirt while another hand moved up to his mouth, feeling sick. The others laid limp by his side.

There was too much blood, he wasn't sure where it was coming from. Maybe that was good. All he had to do was hit the thing hard enough with a shovel to get it to shut up. He knew there was one in the shed. He'd have to go digging for it because the shed was a reck, but that was fine.

His parents weren't there at the moment. His mom was out getting groceries and his father was still at work. He had time. They'd never have to know what he'd done, no one would.

Always running away like a coward, never fighting back, never looking people in the eye.

Not anymore.

The coughing stopped his train of thought, and he jumped back a foot, tripping on the stairs. The momentum made him fall backward. The single wing on the beast curled closer in on itself. It seemed to be trying to get up, albeit in vain.

Each time it tried to push its legs and arm underneath itself to get up it collapsed again. It's stupidly long hair was crusted over with its own blood. Probably. It could be anyone's blood. They were vicious beasts that attacked anyone and everyone. Even their own kind.

He needed to do something before it called for its pack.

 _Destroy not what they love,_ they advised.

A manic giggle left his lip. It sounded more like a sob.

He got up from where he had fallen and all but crawled to the shed. He pushed the door to the side, wincing at every creak it made. He was shaking hard and couldn't control his hand movement. After what felt like an hour he got ahold of a shovel, still crusted in dirt and turned around.

It had to die.

It was the only way to survive this. Get rid of it before more came.

With legs like jelly and arms that could barely lift the shovel, he moved towards the bloody thing.

Man. This thing in front of his was a man and he had to accept that he was about to kill him. A monster that called itself an angel.

 _Kill not what they protect,_ they warned.

Deep breath. In. Out.

It was for the best.

They were no different from the rest of them. They lived on the same earth. Ate the same food. They were not higher beings.

He lifted the shovel high above his head, grabbing it with two pairs of arms to steady it more. The man hadn't even noticed him. Looking closer, stalling, he noticed that the beast's face was bleeding from its eyes. It was blind.

There was a moment of guilt, the shovel still held high.

 _Invite them not into thy mind,_ they demanded.

He had to remind himself that this thing would kill him without a thought or care. He was doing this to protect his family. He stood there trying to convince himself to swing down, to kill it.

But it was pitiful to watch. This man whose magic could kill everyone in his neighborhood with one swoop of a hand was on the ground drowning in its own blood.

He realized his ears had been ringing so bad that it had blocked out the sound it was making. Until now, he hadn't noticed the pained sounds it made at every attempt to get up. Hadn't noticed the whines when it stretched its arm back only to find the wings it was looking for were missing.

And the crying. The heavy sobbing from pain, maybe loss too. He wasn't sure.

Those wings were important to those monsters. They represented their power, their magic. Losing one meant a slow and painful death. Even if the beast in front of him wasn't bleeding to death, his life wouldn't last much longer.

He dropped the shovel. His breath coming out in quick gasps.

He didn't know if it was fear or guilt. He had killed before, being who he was required that. Had fought when fleeing wasn't an option. Many were after his head at any given time.

So why was now different? This pathetic weakened monster had no way to protect itself from him. If it did, Tsuna would be dead by now.

 _Think not of treachery, they shall destroy thee,_ they warned.

This was cowardly behavior, he knew that. He wasn't being a good person by letting this thing live. It would kill for fun if it ever recovered. He might be the first victim.

He knew even better that it wouldn't recover. It would slowly rot away with its pack. It would tear into everyone it got its hands on to spite them. To make them as miserable and this man surely would be.

There was no reason not to kill the man now.

He was a coward.

Clawing at the ground uselessly, the once powerful being was a sight to see. With all the whimpering the man looked nothing like those he had seen who brutalized so many citizens.

 _As long as you aren't one of the fae, you were safe_ , they proclaimed.

What a bunch of bullshit.

This will be his last stand against those who tortured people they promised to protect. It was too late to run now. He could only imagine the man's pack was close by already. It would be a pitiful stand against them but at least it would have some meaning to him.

Taking a deep breath, or at least an attempt because the air felt like poison, he pulled out his phone. He had to warn his parents. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that they would leave him and not look back. Like his siblings had been left behind.

They've had to run too often to be stupid enough to try to save someone. Especially when it would get them all killed instead of a single person. So, he wished them well and told them that he loved them.

He crouched down and wrapped each of his arms securely around the man in front of him, waiting for retaliation, but got none. Instead, the man allowed himself to be picked up and fell like a dead weight, passing out.

 _Ask not for favors, you will regret them,_ they reminded.

An unattractive snort left Tsuna's mouth

Over time, he had learned how to hide. Being born in a city on the other side of the sea, where magic was just as hated as it was here, he learned that there was no safe place. The forest only gathered more dangers.

His first time using magic was an accident. It was a fickle thing that came when it wanted to in adolescence. He'd fallen from a tree trying to grab a ball that had gotten stuck. Not even having time to scream, fire exploded around him, and with eyes turned a glowing orange he floated to the ground.

He was one of the beasts that lived in the forest. The ones with glowing eyes and sharp teeth. The ones that mothers told tales about to their children at night.

But he knew better. All the monsters were here. The ones that used magic and told others that anyone else using it was dangerous, _they_ were the monsters.

They gave citizen rules to follow. Told everyone how dangerous they were.

 _Always inform the angels where the fae dens are, we will protect you,_ they promised.

Liars.

Moving up the stairs with the still bleeding man, he struggled to get a hand free and open the door.

 _Step not into their homes, for thou will never leave,_ they reminded.

Those rules all citizens were told about the fae were all shit. If anything, people should be warned about the angels, not the fae. They should know what happened behind closed doors. They should know what all the self-righteous assholes controlling other countries did, too.

He moved to his room and gently placed the monster on his bed.

For the second time in his life, he called on his magic. He would heal the man who would most likely kill him when he woke up if his pack hadn't already.

 _Magic always has a price._

If they expected his to claim a price, he would claim none.

Once he was done he went to the kitchen to grab crackers and a glass of water. He went back to the room where the angel lay and put the food and drink down nearby.

 _Eat not what they offer._

If they expected him to do anything if the angels ate the food, he would do nothing.

They had no right to assume what he was and what he would do.

Magic, thick and heavy, flew out the room at incredible speed.

The angel was finally calling for its pack and Tsuna was ready and waiting, perched on the headboard of the bed that the man rested on.

Let them come.

* * *

Please review, I love hearing from you guys!


	2. The real fool

I have no self-control and posted another chapter even though I only planned to post them every week. Thanks so much for favoriting, following, and reviewing. You guys are the reason I'm continuing this story because honestly, I was worried about posting my story here.

Anywayssssssss, here's the next chapter!

* * *

Honestly, Tsuna expected a faster response from the man's pack. An hour had passed, and no one had come.

Nothing.

It was unnerving.

While he waited, he had healed the man the best he could. Not that his best was much. Crude, untrained magic could do very little. He'd never been safe enough to practice it. All he could do was force as much magic as he could into the wounds and hope it doesn't turn the cells cancerous. Or maybe hope it does.

Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, the man laying on the bed had enough subconscious magic control to lead Tsuna's own. The man was even able to heal the rest of the damage himself.

Except for the wing. There was no way for the man to get that back. The wound will not heal and it'll continue to leaked monstrous amount of magic until it's all gone.

And then he'd die.

Even now he could feel the magic leaving the beast's body, flowing like blood from a deep wound into the air. It was so thick in the room, it seemed like the clouds had fallen from the sky to lay in his bedroom.

The smell was sharp and metallic. Breathing was hard enough already, but the added effect made it worse.

It wasn't common knowledge how long it would take for the beast to die. Angels kept their weaknesses locked up tight and guarded them ferociously.

At least the beast hadn't woken up yet. Despite all his bravado Tsuna didn't want to die.

His hands were still shaking. Letting them lay on his lap, he didn't try and stop the movement. Fear wasn't a weakness. Running from danger didn't make a person weak either. Flopping over with your tail between your legs and giving up was what made a person weak.

His breathing hadn't calmed down. Every breath was painfully short and fast. Trying desperately to stay on his perch, he swayed, dizzy.

He'd been trying to ignore the elephant in the room. In fact, he'd been ignoring ever since the monster had fallen into his backyard.

Because, while the angels were a big enough threat themselves, _something had taken one down._

And it was nowhere to be seen. Not a peep, no magic, no physical destruction except for what was on the sleeping man. Tsuna had no way to explain that.

The man's pack may very well be dead.

Of course, that didn't mean no one would come and collect the man. Other angels would come. Armies of them if they really had been attacked.

There would be no way to escape and he wouldn't even see them coming before they tore his head from his body. At least that meant a painless death.

Angels weren't known to be merciful so he was probably lying to himself.

A grumble jolted him from his thoughts, almost throwing him off of the bed as he let out an undignified squeak.

The monster in his bed was waking up.

Tsuna tried, he really did. He sat up, proudly looking down on the man from his perch on the headboard. He wouldn't be able to intimidate this monster of a man but he would still try to look strong regardless.

He would die an honorable death while staring the man in the eye as he killed him. Look at his as if he was the scum of the earth.

Because he was.

It didn't stop the fear. He wondered if the beast could smell it.

The man stretched languidly under the sheets before hissing. It probably didn't feel good to rub the open wound on his back against anything. Or he was sore, maybe even phantom pain from already healed wounds.

It didn't matter and Tsuna would not pity him. He wouldn't.

When the man opened his eyes they were hazy, not blind though, Tsuna had fixed that.

Unfocused, half-slits looking directed above the headboard, right at Tsuna. His eyes were glassy and it made him look more dead than alive. They were incredibly dark, which was disgustingly fitting.

They didn't look human.

It made him look like the monster he was. Tsuna's lip curled up in contempt.

Another wave of magic flew from the room. It wasn't a calling though.

Curiosity. Confusion. The beast _didn't know where it was._ Tsuna's breath hitched.

This person didn't belong from here? Didn't know the city? The wave of magic could probably pass across half the damn ocean with how much the man had thrown out.

 _Then it sent out another._ Further this time. Tsuna couldn't tell. His magic perception wasn't that good. It had to at least go past the ocean itself and into another continent.

But angels only lived here. Not across the ocean. Other monster had control over there, and yet, this one didn't belong to this city, this country, _this continent_.

The man sent out three more waves of magic before he stopped.

With a sudden jolt, Tsuna realized no army would come. The thing he had let into his home wasn't something they could handle. Because as the beast sat up to look around, the sheets fell from the shoulders of the beast, and it's back was in full view.

There was a giant bloody tear on his back where the other wing should have been.

 _Along with four others._

That didn't make any sense. He'd cleaned the blood from the beast's body. There was no way he could've missed that.

A hiss filled the room and it took Tsuna a dizzying couple of seconds to realize it was coming from him. He choked on his tongue trying to stop.

No, there would be no army at his doorsteps. No horde swarming the streets. They would not come to his neighborhood.

The King would come knocking instead.

* * *

And there it is. Its pretty short but I promise the next chapter is longer and fluffier.

Please review!


	3. A gathering storm

Here's chapter 3! Shout out to lilLovelyanime who mentioned that the summary was kinda misleading. I really appreciate the feedback and hopefully, the new summary is better.

* * *

On rare occasions, the King left his place in the center of the city where the angels lived. Of course, this was a good thing. If the King left more often, Tsuna could only imagine how many would be dead, because anytime the King did visit the rest of the city it was followed by a report of how many were killed in his wake.

The numbers were never small.

Tsuna wasn't sure if the King's name was lost in time or if there was truly no one brave enough to use it. Either way, it seemed he was more of a malevolent God than a King in the eyes of the people.

With that much power, it was no surprise that Tsuna felt the King's presence before he saw him. It felt like gravity had increased tenfold, as if the sun had inched just a tad closer. The heat of it licked his skin.

He looked down at the man on his bed.

Perhaps it was blasphemy, but he couldn't help but wonder if the beast laying on his bed was stronger than the King.

The man may have had his wings torn from him, but while he had three pairs only recently, the King had just two. The second pair hadn't even grown in all the way. Honestly, he was almost positive there had never been an angel with three pairs of wings in all of history.

As the King got closer, probably still a couple mile away, the air became electric. Static pulled at his clothes and his hair seemed to stand on end.

His could feel his own magic attempt to rise in retaliation. Pushing it down ruthlessly, he found himself wondering just who laid in his bed.

The creaking of the front door alerted him of his guest. Sharp footsteps moved from the door to the stairs and every creak of the wood made Tsuna flinch, but he refused to leave his perch.

The almost pleasant humming from the stairs made him wearier than the magic that acted too much like chains and fire. The lilting tune was a minor key he couldn't identify.

The humming stopped at the door and Tsuna swore his heart did the same.

When the door swung wide open the mist-like magic floated outside of the room, making the King's entrance more dramatic than it probably should be. Tsuna held back a hysterical giggle at the way the King's eyes glowed in the mist.

Without a word, the man at the door stepped in. His gait was elegant, poised, and he stopped just a few steps short of the bed.

Tsuna didn't turn to acknowledge his, too stiff with fear to move. Out of the corner of his eye, he tracked the King's movement.

 _So much for acting brave,_ he thought.

In the amount of time it had taken the King to come, the man on his bed had done little after waking up. He had all but flopped back on the bed and closed his eyes again as if the King's magic was something to laugh at. As if there was nothing to worry about.

The idea was unsettling.

There was a long moment of silence. The King stared down at the monster laying on the bed and ignored Tsuna. It was as if he was an ant, nothing more than a bug that could be killed with the King's thumb alone.

The worst part was how true that statement was.

The man laying on his bed stayed curled up on the bed, under the covers. His breathing was the only thing that showed that he was awake.

While Tsuna was determined to be brave, a large part of him wanted to curl up in a corned or beg for a swift death. Another part of him, one that was a mere murmur told him to make this bastard remember him, even if it killed him. Which it would, regardless of what he did.

He was afraid of dying, but he was more afraid that his death wouldn't matter to anyone. He didn't want to be another number on a report, a reminder that the angels could do what they want without consequence.

When his sister and brother died his parents hadn't given them a grave, hadn't prayed they were in a better place. There were no flowers or memorial. They had simply moved to the next city and that was it. Leaving their bodies to rot on the ground they laid upon.

The King was an intimidating man, though, and as much as Tsuna wanted to do something, he couldn't even force himself to _move_. Already tall to begin with, the King's heavy presence made him seem like a giant. He commanded attention and the wings behind him were slightly unfurled, an attempt to look even larger.

Suddenly, the King's eyes snapped up to Tsuna. A hand covered in magic flew at him but right before it got a hold of him he was throw down to the bed below him by another hand.

Sheets fluttered to the ground and with wide eyes, Tsuna found himself under the beast he had found only hours ago. Why the first thing he noticed was how the bed was still warm from the angel's body heat, he didn't know.

A hand was carefully pressing him deeper into the bed and he swears that the beast hissed.

The only wing still on the man curled down over Tsuna, making a barrier between him and the King.

"Get out," the beast growled.

Tsuna had no way of seeing how the King responds, but he could feel the fire-like magic press down even more in the room. It felt like he was being crushed under a mountain. Tears sprung up from his eyes and he gasped for air. _Submit_ , it howled, and he was reminded why the people of the country used this man's title as a curse and a prayer.

Just as fast as it came, it was gone.

That had only been a reminder of who was in charge. A statement of power and Tsuna had felt he was dying by such a tiny amount of the King's magic.

He felt so damn _small._

In that moment, Tsuna gave up on that tiny bit of hope he had refused to acknowledge. This whole time he had been hoping that there might be some way to get out of this alive. The realization that he was going to die suddenly became very real.

That was the moment the magic in the room shifted. Cloudy, mist-like magic that had been flowing out of one-winged man became thicker in the air. Friction between the moving magic created static strong enough to be heard and seen and although it was daytime outside the room grew dark.

It was like there was a storm gathering in his room. The humidity in the room was creating condensation and as it dripped from the walls Tsuna was reminded of rain.

A hand brushed along his neck down his shoulder. He could feel the crackling of magic on the man's fingertips as it touched his skin.

"If you want to use magic to show who's stronger, two can play at that game. Or you could use words and stop acting like a brat having a tantrum," and oh shit did that idiot just say that to the King? The contempt in his voice was almost tangible.

A rumbling growl echoed through the room, "Who are you," the King's voice sounded like a dozen people had spoken. The words that echoed in the room were a statement, not a question.

However, what Tsuna was really stuck on was the hesitation in the King. The uncertainty. It was almost like he was intimidated by the show of magic, but that didn't make sense. Sure, Tsuna could feel the magic press itself down in the room, but it didn't feel like he was falling apart at the seams like when the King's magic was present and — oh. _Oh_.

It was obvious now. The way he had been protected. The way the wing had been put between him and the King. The way the feathers brushed against his skin and didn't pull away. The way the magic had worried the King but had calmed Tsuna down.

The angel had claimed him as pack. Even now, he could feel tendrils of magic pulling at his own, almost playfully.

Which was laughable, because angels hunted his kind. They took them in as war trophies and put them to work like slaves. They didn't _make them part of their pack._

"Nobody important," the beast muttered, moving his hand from Tsuna's shoulder and into his hair, rubbing calming circles into his scalp, "so get out, I won't ask again."

Tsuna tried not to lean into the touch, he really did.

"Don't think you can stay here. At some point or another, you will be taken into the upper city with the rest of the angels. You will only die faster in the home of a fae," hissed the King through his teeth, "You will accomplish nothing here. Once you are ready to beg on your knees for forgiveness I will send someone to fetch you."

The slam of the door that shook the house was what announced the King leaving. The silence that followed wasn't as strained as it should have been. The man's hand fell from his head and Tsuna looked up.

The angel's long hair brushed against his nose and he tried not to sneeze. The man's eyes were feverish, glossy.

Tsuna wanted to run, but he also wanted to lay there forever. To live up to the rumors of his kind and keep this person tucked in his house and make sure he never leaves.

He's not sure where the last part came from, but it fits. Maybe he was more fae than he thought.

Surprisingly, the magic hasn't settled. In fact, it was getting even thicker in the air. It felt… nice, calming.

The hair brushing against his nose shifted as the man's head tilted, "Are you alright?"

Tsuna was surprised how easy it was to reply, "I think so, "he paused, unsure, "but how are you," he paused again, "and _who_ are you?"

He got a frown in response and Tsuna sputtered, "I meant your name. I was wondering what your name was, but you don't have to tell me, it's fine. I'm a fae, I get it. You aren't supposed to tell —," his worried rant was stopped by an amused snort.

The man smiled down at him, before frowning, looking a little lost.

"A name, huh?" a pause, "Skull. People have called me Skull before," muttered the man, as if he were unsure himself.

"Skull? That's your name?" Tsuna asked because that was a rather odd name. He got a confused look from Skull as if he had somehow mispronounced it, but he didn't get a chance to correct himself because in that second Skull's eyes closed and he flopped down onto Tsuna like a deadweight.

He had passed out.

Tsuna is reminded that this man is now on borrowed time. Something fierce reared its ugly head in Tsuna's stomach and he decided right then and there that he'd be damned before he let anyone take Skull from him. What time he had left was _his, damn it_.

Gently, he pushed Skull off of him. Pulling himself up to lean on the headboard, he picks up Skull's head and places it in his lap.

With the kind of care you would use with a newborn, he threads his hands into Skull hair. Realizing that Skull is still covered in his own blood, he picks him up off the bed and takes him to the bathroom.

One good thing about having six arms is that you can carry a surprising amount of weight. Not that Skull was particularly heavy. He was hollow-boned after all.

Luckily, Skull had little clothing on. All he had to do was take off his pants. Although, it was difficult to move Skull around without pulling on his hair, which was stupidly long and he hopes he can convince Skull to cut it later.

He turns on the water and puts his hand under the water until he's satisfied with the temperature. After, he lifts Skull from his lap into the water, leaving the drain open for now. With it closed, Skull would end up soaking in his own filth. Tsuna briefly wonders how Skull hadn't died after losing this much blood.

While cleaning Skull, his thoughts turn to the man's shortened lifespan. He has no way of knowing how long this man is going to live. His heart clenches. It might only be a couple day. Even if it's years later, it'll be much too soon.

Realizing he had stopped scrubbing, he returned to his task with a sigh. When he was done, he went back into his room and tore the bloody sheets from his bed and replaced them with clean ones, all while cradling Skull.

He crawled into the bed after placing his precious cargo down and curled up as tight as he could around him.

* * *

After that, Skull only woke up for short periods of time. Anything he asks for, Tsuna is quick to get. Not that he asks for much, and Tsuna doesn't think he's eating enough.

He fixes this by shoving more and more food at Skull and demanding he eats it all.

It didn't take much to convince Skull to cut his hair, and Skull tells him he doesn't really care what Tsuna did with it. Which he's pretty sure he did a bad job at because it spikes up in every direction. He apologizes but Skull says he likes it.

* * *

A couple days after Skull fell from the sky, he says something that makes Tsuna break.

Tsuna had found the courage to ask how long Skull would live, but when he asked Skull had looked at him weird and asked what he meant.

"Your wings. You're leaking too much magic," Tsuna didn't elaborate anymore, already about to burst into tears.

Lethargic, Skull pulled Tsuna closer, "A wound like this isn't going to kill me. My wings will grow back soon."

With a sudden realization, Tsuna remembered Skull probably wasn't raised by other angels. He didn't know that wings didn't grow back.

Tears fell from his eyes, and he decided it might be better this way. Skull wouldn't have to know that he was dying.

So, with even more vigor, Tsuna gave his all to make Skull happy. If it made Skull smile, Tsuna would bend over backward to make it happen.

Although, that didn't stop the whimpers late at night when Skull was asleep and probably didn't even realize he was making those sounds. Because, while Skull didn't know he was dying, it was still happening and it must be painful.

Days later, Tsuna found a way to make them stop. Before he had refused to touch the wounds, absolutely sure that it would hurt if he did, but a slip of his hand made him press deep into one of the wounds. Before he could pull away, horrified, Skull all but melted into the touch and the pained sounds stopped.

The silence was the best thing he's ever heard and for once, Tsuna was glad for his clumsiness.

Since then, Tsuna spent as much time as he could with Skull close and his hands pressed on the man's wounds. When he had to leave the room he would carry Skull with him. Whether it was cleaning, making food, even bathing, he held onto Skull like a lifeline.

He knew when Skull was gone he would be lost. He wondered when he got so attached.

* * *

A week passed and Tsuna knew he needed to go grocery shopping. Skull would need more food soon. He was more than slightly reluctant to leave Skull at home, but the idea of taking his injured angel out onto the street wasn't an option. Anytime people got too close to the house, Skull would release more magic and he needed every damn bit of it to live longer, so Tsuna had to leave him here.

Tsuna uncurled himself from around Skull and pushed himself off the bed. As he got up to leave the room, he turned around to look at the sleeping angel. He stood there for a while before forcing himself to leave.

There was a sudden rise in magic, and Tsuna assumed it was because he had left the room without Skull, but a knock on the door proved him wrong.

When he opened ready to yell at whoever it was to leave _because they were killing his angel faster_ , he was met with another angel.

Her eyes flickered nervously past him, obviously looking for Skull, she thrust a hand out and stated, "Hana."

Looking down at the hand with a grimace, he wondered if he had to be polite or if he could tell her to leave. Deciding it was best to be quick he grasped the hand and jerked it up and down once, "Tsuna."

She nodded once before pushing a couple bags into his arm, "The King sent me. The ointment is for the wounds, it'll lessen the pain," and just like that she was gone.

Later, he would question why the King had gone back on his word to make Skull beg before helping him. For now, he put the food Hana had given him away and ran back up to his room.

When he opened the door Skull was on the bed looking at him with a raised brow, "Who was at the door?"

"An angel, she gave me something for your back," he glanced down at the small container and then back at Skull, "Turn over so I can put it on."

The ointment smelled faintly like lavender when he opened the tube. Pouring a small amount onto his hand, he placed the tube on his bedside table reverently. Anything that would take Skull's pain away would be treated as such.

When he pressed the ointment into the wounds, Skull sighed in relief, "Feels nice."

When he was done, it didn't stop Tsuna from carrying Skull everywhere with his hands still pressed upon the wounds.

Hana continued to bring food and the ointment whenever it was needed, and Tsuna couldn't help but wonder how she knew when to bring more.

* * *

Tsuna woke up with a start.

It should surprise him that he's awake so early after the last couple of days. It had been the worst days Skull has had yet. Nothing could stop the pain, not Tsuna, not the ointment.

Whenever the pain became too much to handle, Skull would pass out, but the sounds would not stop. Tsuna hadn't been able to sleep, too worried and freaked out by just how bad it was getting.

When Skull had finally settled into an uneasy sleep, Tsuna had passed out right after him.

Now, his eyes flew to the body next to him.

The magic in the air had dropped dramatically, but that didn't matter at the moment.

He all but threw Skull onto his back to get a better look at what he had felt, what had woken him up, and burst into tears.

Right there in front of him, next to the only wing on the man was a tuft of down coming from the wound.

One wing was growing back and with a new certainty, Tsuna knew the others would too.

Skull would live. It was impossible, and a miracle, but all that mattered was that _he would live._

"Tsuna, what the hell was that for?" Skull muttered face down on a pillow, not even sounding angry at the rude awakening.

Joyful laughing filled the room. Tsuna pulled Skull off the bed with him, steadying the angels when he stumbled with three different arms before picking him up and twirling him in circles, "You're going to live!," he yells through a laugh, "You're going to live!"

Smiling and slightly confused Skull looks at him, "Yes? Was that ever a question?"

"Not anymore," was his reply.

* * *

Only two weeks later, Skull's wing had grown back for the most part. There were still bald spots where feathers should be, but that's just fine.

There's also no sign of the others growing back just yet, but Skull told him it would happen soon and Tsuna trusts his judgment. It doesn't stop him from carrying Skull around though, even if he is much better now and there are less sleepless nights.

Skull hasn't complained about it yet, even though he's much taller than Tsuna and it can't be comfortable for Skull, so the habit continues.

Slowly, but surely, Skull is more active. He's awake for longer and he's been helping with dinner for the past three days.

Tsuna knows that at some point they're both going to be forced to face reality. The King is still a worrisome problem for them both. So, it really doesn't surprise him when someone knocks on his door in the middle of Skull trying and failing to measure a cup a Crisco for cookies while he looks at the recipe yelling, "I can't believe it's not butter!"

He's only slightly sad Skull doesn't get the joke. Although he does burst out laughing when he gets a concerned look.

There's flour all over the place, and somehow an egg has ended up on the ceiling, and he's mortified that he has to invite someone inside while covered in molasses.

Skull and he are both terrible cooks, but they make it work.

* * *

Please review! Also, I don't know if there are too many time skips in here and I don't know what I'm doing. Chapter 4 is even longer and was a bitch to write but I'm really happy with it, hopefully, when I upload I you guys will like it too!


	4. Eat not what they offer

Oh my gosh you guys are amazing. The feedback I've been getting from this story is kind of surprising but I'm so glad you guys like it. This chapter was super fun to write, and I ended up adding more than I thought I would. Someone mentioned that the first chapter happens a bit too quick and its confusing and that's because I seriously can't write intros. I wanted it to be longer but I thought it would be best to just throw it out there and get on with it. Hope that's alright. If there's anything specific that needs to be explained tell me because I'm the one writing it and sometimes I don't realize I leave things out.

Alssoooooooo, this chapter is edited by me and not a beta so expect grammar mistakes. And omg if you guys are writing things use grammarly it catches so many things google doesn't.

* * *

They're both covered in food that should have ended up in the mixer and not on themselves. Skull's hair is all over the place, but that's nothing new and Tsuna really doesn't want to open the door because there's molasses all over his hands and he doesn't want it on the doorknob. So, he ends up pressed up against the door trying to use his wrists to open it, but his wrists don't have opposable thumbs and it just isn't working.

Skull is laughing shamelessly behind him and Tsuna can't hide the smile creeping up on his face no matter how hard he's trying to look annoyed. He's pretty sure he smells something burning but they haven't even put anything in the oven yet.

Groaning in exasperation, he gives up on trying to open the door with his wrists. As he reaches up with a molasses covered hand though, Skull finally decides to do something _useful_ and opens the door from behind Tsuna, body pressed up against his own. Now he can feel the laugh, as well as hear it.

In an act of fake anger, he elbows Skull in the stomach, but it only seems to egg the angel on as he laughs harder. More importantly, he should be afraid of what's behind the door, but it's difficult when Skull makes everything feel so _safe._ The way he can feel warm puffs of air on his neck and an arm curling around his stomach is a bonus.

Hana was at the door, skittishly flicking her eyes between both of them, but Tsuna can't imagine they look intimidating. In fact, he's pretty sure they look like a couple of fools.

The happiness is suddenly muted when Tsuna get a look at Hana's wings. Patches of skin where feathers were obviously torn littered her grayish-brown wings. If Tsuna could see so many bald spots from where he was with such a bad angle he could only imagine the damage over the rest of her wings.

He remembers one of the many conversations with Skull, who told him about how much it hurt to have feathers plucked. He doesn't know Hana well enough to ask, it felt like it would be an invasion of privacy to mention them, but he knows abuse when he sees it.

The King was not a good man, not even to his pack and Tsuna is sad to say it's not surprising.

He takes a step back pressing further into Skull, who understands what Tsuna is asking. He opens the door further and Tsuna smiles, "Come in."

He wasn't going to give her a chance to run away.

* * *

Hana hesitated, uneasy about entering another angels nest, knowing how aggressive her kind can get about trespassing.

That's not the only thing she's worried about though.

An issue with designing hierarchy around physical and magical power were the issues that arise when someone stronger comes along.

It hasn't happened in thousands of years, and the current King has ruled for millennia. Another issue was that Skull was injured. At the moment he isn't stronger than the king.

But in a few months?

He would be able to tear through the King like paper.

So Hana is stuck between bowing down to the terrifyingly strong man in front of her, or refusing to because her pack leader was still the King, but neither option is a good one. She could either piss off the King by bowing to someone lower than him or piss off Skull by not bowing to him.

If she weren't so terrified, she'd be outraged, because the King sent her instead of a stronger member of his pack for a reason.

She was just a sacrifice. A way to win brownie points from the injured angel before he took the crown. Either way, she would die at the hands of the current king or the king-to-be.

Before she had left to come here, the King had been sure to emphasis quite passionately why she shouldn't bow to anyone but him. Torn feathers and bald patches on her wings were a reminder of the lesson.

So when she entered the house without a bow she was sure she'd get put in her place by this new angel, but he just smiled from behind the little brown haired fae and led her to the living room. She decided not to mention the smell of char that permeated the room.

The little fae came back from the kitchen with tea and — were those supposed to be cookies?

The fae had the decency to look embarrassed, "Sorry, we burned the batch we made it yesterday. We were making a new batch when you came by, but they're not done yet. I hope you don't mind."

She did but she wasn't going to say anything. She didn't have a death wish.

"It's alright, thank you for the hospitality," she accepted the tea from him and watched as he sat down right next to Skull and leaned into the wing he had been offered.

What an odd sight. Her kind wasn't known for being affectionate. Perhaps that was because most packs were made for political gain. Looking at the how comfortable the two were with each other, she couldn't help but be a little jealous.

She waited for Skull to take the first sip of tea, only to be horrified as the fae did so instead. Not taking her eyes off the injured angel, she waited for the punishment that was sure to follow, but nothing happened. Instead, Skull looked at her with a knowing half-smile.

The leader ate first. That was just how it was and she was beginning to wonder the hierarchy of the household and who was really at the top of the tiny pack.

Trying to act like none of this incredibly weird behavior was bothering her, she waited until the king-to-be started to drink before she took a sip. The scent of the green tea came before the taste and she was pleasantly surprised that the two hadn't messed up on the tea like the cookies.

The little fae looked like she with such a sharp expression it stole her breath away. She choked on the tea, nearly spitting it out. As sudden as it was there, it was gone.

"So what brings you here?" Tsuna asked after her coughing fit.

Flustered and suddenly worried she blurted out, "The King would like to invite you both to the upper city."

The little fae seemed to consider her words with narrowed eyes. With the lighting of the room, they seemed to glow an unnatural orange, "I don't mean to be rude, but why would he do that? He attacked me and practically sentenced Skull to death. I can't see any reason for him to invite us there."

He was playing with her, she was sure of that. The small smile that tilted only one side of his face told her that. Her jaw jumped.

 _Damn monkey,_ she thought.

Anger simmered under the surface but she just kept her head low and murmured, "He sent me to apologize for how you were attacked when you first came here. As a way to show his sincerity, he's inviting you to live in the upper city. All amenities you need will be free, of course."

Tsuna let out a quiet hum before grabbing two burned cookies before pushing the plate towards her. He handed one to Skull who took it and smiled at the fae in thanks.

Knowing that she couldn't be rude, she thanked him and grabbed one herself. This time it was Skull who ate before the fae.

 _Who's the leader? Who's in charge?_ she wondered, aggravated by not knowing.

When she took a bite she almost scrunched up her face in disgust. It was horribly charred and was definitely missing a few ingredients. She finished it anyways.

She swears the monkey brat was doing it on purpose. She swears it and she hates him for it. She hates him even more because as she watched them all she can think of is how she is bound to the King by magic. Magic that forces her to obey any order from the vile man.

She has to play nice. She was ordered to play nice. She was ordered to die so that the King can continue living a cushy life.

And here this little pack was, happy and caring for each other, and she had the King. She didn't want the King. _She didn't want to be owned by the King._

"Skull, what do you think? Should we go?" the fae is still leaning into the wing, rubbing patterns on the bald patches, and she was struck again with envy by the trust between the two.

The male angel just shrugs, "You choose. I could care less." He had already abandoned his own cookie after the first bite, "I hope the new batch will taste better than this."

"Yeah, but at least the cookie dough tastes good this time. We just have to avoid putting it in and forgetting about it again," Tsuna pauses, a smile curling his lip up, "and I think we will meet with the King. It sounds like a _wonderful_ idea."

Hana doesn't like how sharp Tsuna's teeth are.

She doesn't like how tired she feels either.

More than anything, she hates how close she is to giving up and accepting that she will be a puppet forever.

* * *

Tsuna knows why the King didn't kill Skull and it makes him throw back his head and _laugh_. As he looks at this angel before them he realizes the opportunity and he is nothing if not an opportunist.

The King wanted to meet them?

Well.

He can do that.

Although, he does decide to get a cab to the upper city. Skull's wing wasn't fully recovered and he didn't want to push it. The primary feathers weren't grown in properly and Tsuna knew those were needed for flight.

Also, there was no way he's going to let any other angels fly him into the city. No way he would even let them _touch_ Skull.

Hana had given him an odd look when he had announced this and offered to call a driver instead. Tsuna was about to object when she told him that cabs were cramped for those with wings.

Now on the road, Skull's face had been plastered to the window since they had left. When they stopped at a light he whipped around and pointed to something out the window.

"Tsuna. Doesn't that person look amazing?" his expression was full of wonder and it was such a childish look on the angel that Tsuna wondered if this was what Skull was like when he wasn't injured.

He'd become more talkative recently, more excitable. It was endearing.

When he looked out the window he saw what Skull was pointing at and frowned, "You mean the person standing there?" he asked, confused why Skull what bringing it up.

"Mhmm, with the paint on his face. And the metal."

Tsuna turned to Skull, brows pinched a bit, "You mean the makeup and piercings?"

"Yeah. Those," Skull murmured looking back at the person on the street, "I want some."

Tsuna couldn't help but think of a punk rock looking Skull and laugh, "Yeah, they'd suit you. Really well."

In the back of his mind, he was questioning why Skull didn't already know what makeup and piercings were. But he wasn't going to pry. Yet.

Also, the reaction Skull would get from the angels who abhor makeup and body modification would be great. He could already hear the wounded animal noises Hana was trying to suppress.

* * *

There was no obvious boundary between the upper city and the lower city. Although, there was a gentle slope that showed approximately where one city began and the other ended. It made the upper city quite literally higher than the lower city.

It wasn't necessary for there to be any gates or guards. No one would dare try to enter the upper city if they weren't supposed to be there. Well, at least the citizens wouldn't. Wartime was a different story. Although, there hadn't been a war between the countries in a very long time.

They were more worried about fae activity, which has been on the rise as of late.

As they first entered the upper city, Tsuna's chest twinged slightly in anxiety. After so many years of fearing angels and the upper city, it was hard to ignore the part of him telling himself to run. Although it did help when Skull pulled away from the window to look at him before dragging his closer to the angel's side.

Now pressed up against Skull, he ended up looking out the window. There were a few differences between this part of the city and the lower one. The streets and sidewalks were wider. Probably because walking with wings required that. Wings weren't tucked close to the body and usually stuck out anywhere between a couple inches to a couple feet on either side of the angels.

Another difference was the larger houses, which he could only assume were for the same reason and the fact that they all had too much money. Which they got from taxing citizens.

There were a few people walking on the street. All angels. An array of different people with different wing shapes, sizes, and colors.

There was a rumor that the lighter the wing color, the more powerful their magic was. Glancing at Skull's bright white wings, Tsuna could believe it.

They approached the King's home in the center of the city, and Tsuna's frown deepens. It was less of a home and much more of a mansion. He has heard that the King's pack is rather large, but he doesn't think they need _that_ much space.

He also noticed he couldn't feel any other magic besides the King's. Although, that was probably because anyone else sending out magic might seem like a challenge to the King's power.

Angels were such weird creatures.

The car stops in the driveway and when Skull opens the door, it takes a moment for Tsuna to leave with him. A deep breath later, he's out of the car wrapped in a guise of self-confidence.

It doesn't stop him from pushing his way underneath on of Skulls wings.

Hana leads them from behind, careful not to get ahead of them, but leading nonetheless. Tsuna can't help but notice that her shoulders are hunched slightly. They hadn't been like that before.

Once they reach the door, it's Skull who knocks. They wait for a long moment before an angel opens the door for them.

The angel pulls the door wide and hesitates at a barely there bow before deciding not to go through the action. They stay tense as they announce, "Please come in. The King has been waiting."

The angel keeps their eyes low and they wait until Skull and Tsuna are in the house before leading them to the King. They stay behind them as Hana had done.

The pressure of the King's magic is heavy in the air, but nothing like what it had been during their first meeting. It was as close as they were going to get to the King playing nice, apparently.

The room the King was in was full of angels. Some stood, others sat on furniture, some were even perched on top of furniture. In the middle of it all the King sat on a chair that Tsuna could only compare to a throne with how large and gaudy it was.

No sense of fashion whatsoever.

Also, was it just Tsuna or was the King trying to show off a bit too much?

"Welcome!" the King declared, smiling at them, or rather at Skull. The man seemed to ignore fae in the room. He crossed one leg over the other and leaned forward," I would like to thank you for coming on such a short notice. I hope the drive wasn't too annoying for you?"

Tsuna nudged Skull and when the angel looked down at him he tilted his head slightly, asking. There was a pause before Skull nodded. Then Skull turned to the King and smiled, "The drive was fine and thank you for inviting us."

The King seemed to relax at the statement, "Good."

Tsuna would bet anything that the King would offer no food. If Hana's reaction was anything to go by, it would be difficult to decide who would eat first, and so it would most likely be avoided.

A large breath of air left the angel on the throne-like chair and with a wave of a hand, all of his pack left the room.

Except one. Sharp grey eyes looked at them for a long moment and Tsuna swears they sneer, " _Herbivores._ " under their breath before leaving.

He also notices the resemblance between the King and the grey-eyed angel whose wings are a shade lighter than the King's off-white ones.

When the door closes, the King looks at Skull for a long moment before speaking, "I apologize for how I attacked you before, it was unbecoming of me. With all the recent fae activity-" _don't look at me like that you ass,_ Tsuna thought, "-I've been more on edge. It doesn't excuse my behavior but I hope you can understand why I did what I did."

"It must be difficult to protect an entire country," Skull replies, he even sounds apologetic as he rubs the back of his head, "I can understand why you might be a bit jumpy. I know the fae can be tricky to deal with."

Tsuna snorts. He gets a jab in the side for that.

The man across from them frowned, "Yes, they've been getting bolder. They seem to be crawling into the cities and hiding in the masses of magic-less fae that are allowed inside. Which brings us to the next problem," He looking meaningfully at the fae half hiding underneath Skulls massive wing.

"Oh?" Suddenly, Skull seemed to be taking up half the room, magic whipping around like violent winds, knocking books and ornaments off of bookcases all over the room, "And what's the problem?"

Even though the King must understand the threat, he still pressed on, "That fae of yours is dangerous. Not just to citizens around us but also to you. He will feed you lies in half-truths, in fact, I'm sure he already has. The image he painted of us angels in must seem nasty, but I implore you to consider what I have to say."

Laughter fills the room, and suddenly the King's attention switches to the fae who refuses to stay quiet any longer.

"It's a bit too late for that, don't you think? I've been able to shove whatever stories down Skull throat for a month now. Between the two of us, who do you think he'll listen to? The one who attacked him or the one who took care of him when he was suffering? My claws are already so deep in him there's nothing you can do about it."

The smile that creeps up on Tsuna's face is cold, vicious, "And it isn't only him, you know? You should teach your angels the rules of the fae better. That girl, Hana I believe, ate food that I offered and we all know what that means, don't we?"

The King's expression is stormy but he doesn't reply. It only makes Tsuna's grin wider.

"She's mine now. Release her from your pack and your control. Her place is no longer with you."

The King's lip curls up in distaste, "And why should I do that? All I have to do is kill you and with how weak you are it won't even be a challenge."

Heavy static in the air is a reminder of who stood next to Tsuna.

"It seems you misunderstood. You don't really have any other option. Her life is mine, whether it is by you giving her to me or her dying by my hands, she is mine. And you don't want to appear weak do you? Having one of your own killed by a fae would certainly do that."

Tsuna knew why the King didn't kill Skull when he had the chance. Why he didn't kill him now when he only had one wing.

Even before, with only a single wing, even when he was half-dead _Skull was stronger than the King_.

There's a pause before the King slumps in his chair, looking many times older. His magic pulsed, flying out of the room, pulling a certain angel towards them.

When there was a hesitant knock at the door, the King straightened in his chair and grunted, "Enter."

Hana walked into the room with her head purposefully turned to the floor.

The break of ties was quick and painless, they hadn't been close in the first place. It was much like an already taut rubber band breaking.

"Your place is no longer beside me. You have eaten the food of the fae and will be punished as seen fit," the King stated.

Hana looked up, stunned, before turning her head to the fae in the room, who smiled and stated, "You shouldn't take food from a stranger. You never know what their motives might be."

"You are under the ownership of the fae, and what he says goes. Now be useful and show them to their new home," the King waved at them, a clear dismissal.

Without a word, probably too shocked to say anything, Hana walked them out of the house and into a car. A driver came shortly after and they were on their way.

Even as they pulled up to an apartment building she stayed quiet. They made their way to the top floor, which apparently they had to themselves. As they left the elevator and entered the front room of the suite, Hana turned to them, but still said nothing.

Realizing that this was another angel thing, that she probably wasn't allowed to speak unless spoken to, he said, "You seem confused. You can ask questions if you'd like."

With eyes turned to the ground she uttered, "What did you want me for? I'm certainly not the strongest angel here."

"What I want you for?" Tsuna snorted, "Nothing."

Hana's eyes widened but her gaze didn't leave the floor.

"Now sit down with your back facing me," the fae continued.

There was a long pause before she followed the order. She made her way to one of the large chairs before elegantly plopping down. Tsuna followed after and pulled out an ointment container. He noticed Skull wondering off to look through the suite.

Before opening the container he asked, "Can I touch your wings? I'm sure they hurt and I want to put medicine on it. You can say no, by the way, I won't get mad. You can put it on yourself too, I just think it might be difficult to get everywhere that needs it."

Hana whipped around, before correcting the mistake halfway and turned back. Another long pause later she muttered, almost grudgingly, "Go ahead."

When Tsuna was done spreading the ointment on the bald patches, he remembered with a jolt, "Ah! Now that I think about it I do have one order for you," Hana tensed, "You aren't allowed to join any other pack."

Tsuna thought for a second before continuing, "At least not until you find one you actually want to join. Or I guess you could make your own. Other than that, do what you want, say what you want, I don't really care," he ended with a shrug before heading to the kitchen, "You want anything to drink?"

He didn't get a reply, so he turned around only to find Hana looking at him with eyes wide, mouth open slightly, "What did I say something weird? Oh right, we don't have any food in here yet. Uh… do you want water?" he paused, "Oh wait do we even have glasses yet?"

Skull snorted at him looking through one of the doors, "We can go shopping later if we need to. I want to go buy makeup anyways."

Tsuna nodded, before turning to Hana, embarrassed, "Sorry, I don't have anything to drink, so that'll have to wait."

"That's it?" Hana uttered, "There was no reason to take me from the King? Are you kidding me?"

Tsuna looked at her suddenly getting worried, "Uh… did you not want to leave? Sorry I just kind of assumed and I realize now how rude that is and… and I'm sorry. You can… if you want to-" flustered and worried, Tsuna cut himself off, choking on the words.

"If you want to return to the King's pack, we won't stop you," Skull finished for him and Tsuna sent him a grateful look.

Hana shook her head, "Are you fucking _monkeys_?" she sounded slightly hysterical, "You start a fight with the _King_ of all people, over _nothing_. I can't even imagine why you would think that's a good idea."

"Monkey? Last time I checked, monkeys don't have six arms. I always thought I was more like a spider, to be honest. I mean six arms and two legs get you to eight in total. Also, I'm venomous. Very spider-like. Ah, but I don't have eight eyes. I only have two of those. But I'm sure you can see that just fine," Tsuna mentioned conversationally.

With a smirk, he adds, "And you fell right into my trap, kinda like a fly caught in a web. Also very spidery."

Hana makes a wounded animal noise, but at least she was taking the 'do what you want, say what you want' order well.

Tsuna would take that as a win.

* * *

The next day, Tsuna is woken up by someone slamming his bedroom door open. He frowns when he doesn't see Skull sleeping next to him.

When he looks towards the door, though, Skull stands there with the widest grin ever, completely decked out in makeup they'd bought yesterday and a couple of new piercings.

"Don't I look amazing?!"

Tsuna looks at him for a second before giving a fond huff of amusement, "Yeah you look great. Perfect even."

* * *

Dallas Baker you were almost on the money about who the King was. He is a Hibari just not the one you were thinking of. I didn't think I was giving it away so I was surprised how close you were. ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

This story is starting to write itself at this point, and I really hope it keeps happening like that. Also guys its just gonna get fluffier from here. I can't stop. Sometimes when I'm editing I'm just like **nO t** H _Is_ Nee **DS M** orE _FL_ **u** _FF._


	5. Breathe Deep

Sorry about the late update but I was having trouble writing the chapter after this one and I didn't want to post this one in case I needed to change something. I didn't want to half-ass a chapter and regret it later.

Also, please tell me if you notice any mistakes. I don't have a beta and so I'm sure there's plenty of issues I'm not noticing. Thanks and enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Hana ended up staying in one of the four bedrooms in the suite. Of course, it was also the furthest one from the master that Tsuna and Skull decided to share.

Ingrained fear doesn't disappear overnight.

Despite that, she seemed to be warming up to the two. If warming up meant calling them 'monkeys' more often than not and scolding them for ruining every food item they tried to cook.

"Please tell me that the microwave still works," she pleaded when she came into the kitchen.

Tsuna gave her a guilty smile, "We tried turning it on and it didn't work. We unplugged it so hopefully, if we wait for a while it'll start working again?"

In Skull's hand were a pair of tongs holding a burning ball of… something, smoke still coming off of it.

"What even is that," she muttered, exasperated as she rubbed a hand over her face.

Skull wouldn't look her in the eyes, instead focusing somewhere at the ceiling, "A potato?"

The room smelled heavily of smoke, but there didn't seem to be any damage outside of the microwave, "Have you at least opened any windows yet?"

Tsuna opened his mouth to answer but the smoke alarm cut him off. Groaning in annoyance, she left the kitchen to unplug the alarm before pausing and throwing, "Hurry up and open the windows you monkeys!" over her shoulder.

After the windows were opened and the alarm had been turned off Hana asked with her arms crossed and a foot tapping, "How did this happen?"

"We were looking at the microwave and it has a 'potato' button. So we put a potato in the microwave because we were curious, and we kinda forgot about it. At least until we smelled the smoke," Tsuna seemed to be taking Skull approach of not looking her in the eyes.

"I mean it's not really our fault if you think about it. It's the microwaves," Skull continued.

"Great. It isn't your fault then. Just don't ever go into the kitchen again," She pauses, "Or even look at it. Who knows what'll catch fire next if you do."

Tsuna looks at her directly for a second, meeting her eyes but looked away a second later, nervous, "But… how are going to make food then? I mean we do need to eat?"

"What are you talking about? Nothing you've made before can be considered food. I've had to make food each time after you screw up. The last time you made a sandwich you left the wrapper on the cheese. And shortening isn't a substitute for mayo. You two would impress me if it wasn't so horrifying."

Blushing, Tsuna muttered, "My mom used to make food at home. I didn't really cook before Skull came."

With a frown, Hana replied, "What happened to your parents anyway? They weren't killed, I would've heard about that and they weren't at your previous house."

There was a long silence before Tsuna answered.

"They ran. I told them to. I thought for sure I was going to be killed."

Hana regarded him thoughtfully for a moment, "They didn't come back for you?"

"No," Tsuna wanted the conversation to end, but it seemed that Hana wasn't going to let it.

"How did you manage to stay here anyway? I realize crippled fae are allowed in the cities but you aren't magicless. From what I've heard from the reports there was magic residue in your house that didn't belong to Skull," Hana's eyes strayed from Tsuna for a moment, thinking, "I can only assume your parents are fae too unless you're a changeling, but you can't really disguise yourself as a human with those arms. Either way, you said they left which means they weren't home when Skull came. Which leaves —"

"Hana."

Skulls voice, although quiet, echoed through the room. She looks startled, and a bit of the old timid behavior kicks in as she looks down at the floor and doesn't speak.

"If he wants to talk about it let him. If he doesn't want to talk, then he doesn't have to," Skull words are so _final_ and its so surprising that Skull reprimanded Hana that she looks up at Tsuna.

He looks absolutely freaked out. Wide-eyed and lost with hands clutching at his pants and knuckles painfully white.

Realizing her mistake she murmured, "Sorry, I was curious, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," and she meant it because this was the person who saved her when she didn't even realize she needed help.

The smile he gives her would've made her feel better if he didn't look so frazzled still.

"We should check if the microwave still works. If it isn't we're going out and get another," she switched topics instead.

As she walked into the kitchen Tsuna felt Skull's wing move until it was almost completely surrounding him. An arm wrapped around his waist and pull him into Skull's chest, "You alright?"

Although he nodded, he wasn't so sure. Honestly, he was going to answer Hana and her questions or at least change the subject but when he opened his mouth to answer no words came out. With his mouth half open he realized he couldn't answer her because he didn't—

A sharp pain hit him like a knife to the head.

What was he thinking about again?

Shrugging, he decided that if he forgot what he was thinking about it couldn't be important. It didn't stop something in the back of his mind from _screaming._

Walking into the room, Hana didn't look as annoyed as she did when she first came into the kitchen, "Definitely broken. We're going to need a new one."

"I feel bad using the credit card the King gave us to get one," Tsuna muttered, looking embarrassed again, now that he had forgotten about his previous worries.

"You should've thought about that before trying to set the kitchen on fire. Get ready, we're leaving in five," and with that Hana walked off.

Tsuna tries to move but fails when Skull doesn't let him go. When he looks up Skull is looking at his, worried. The fae frowns in confusion but Skull only looks away and sighs before pulling Tsuna with him and dragging him into their room.

Skull flits around the room grabbing clothing for the both of them and Tsuna just watches him in confusion. He doesn't stop Skull for taking off his shirt and replacing it with a warmer one. He doesn't even stop him from taking off his pants and replacing them with something more insulated. All he does is watch, concerned as Skull frown grew deeper and deeper.

As he opens his mouth to ask what has gotten Skull so worked up hands fall on his shoulders, sparks of magic running up his spine pleasantly, and Skull pulls them so close their mouths are practically touching, the lip piercing is cold against his skin, and with a stormy expression, Skull spoke.

"I'm going to fix what they did to you, okay? It'll take some time, but I'll fix it."

The world is blurring around Tsuna as he tries to concentrate, only to jump when Hana calls, "We're leaving! Come on!"

Skull doesn't let go of him and instead grabs a coat and puts it on him, carefully pulling it up each arm and zipping it up.

When Skull walked toward Tsuna starts a bit and hisses, "Skull you need a coat too."

With a snort, the angel turns to him, "Weather like this isn't going to bother me."

Tsuna growls at him and two minutes later Skull in bundled up in a jacket and scarf with a beanie pulled over his head and an amused smile lights up his face.

They leave their room to find Hana there waiting with her arms crossed and a brow raised.

"Sorry," they utter at the same time.

"Monkeys," she muttered before walking toward the door and they follow behind her like ducklings.

It was fairly windy outside and with the cold weather biting at their skin, it felt more like winter than fall.

For a moment, Tsuna walked behind Skull to look at his jacket which was carefully draped around his wings and buttoned at the bottom so it wasn't necessary to pull his wings through the hole. It was a smart design but soon it wouldn't work.

Skull had begun growing back his second set of wings, even though they were only tufts of down coming for the wounds at the moment. It made it easy to fit him with clothing that other angels would wear, but soon enough he would need specially made clothes similar to the kings to accommodate the extra wings.

Tsuna falls in step with Skull and cautiously looks around him. The eyes burning into his back make him sigh and push a little closer to Skull.

Really, fear doesn't go away overnight. It's become ingrained into Tsuna and bites at his mind whenever other angels are near.

All the angels they run into are watching them. It's subtle, but they do it, and its pretty obvious none of them know who Skull is. They want answers, but none come forward to ask.

Although that's only because they know Hana, and they still believed she is one of the King's, so they avoid her like the plague.

It also explains why they don't get any weird looks as Hana leads them.

Not that they don't get weird looks, but they obviously still believe that the King is at the top of the food chain. No one has been told that there is a stronger angel yet and it'll stay that way until Skull says something because the King certainly won't.

Although, Skull wasn't going to say anything. It'll just give the angels a reason to have expectations.

No one in their small pack really wants to fall into the expectations of the angels.

Hana wants the freedom she's been denied for so long. She wants respect and she wants to respect others, but it's hard when angels expect their leaders to control their every decision.

It's easy to respect Tsuna and Skull though. Not that she was going to admit it out loud.

Tsuna, on the other hand, wants friends. He's gotten so much more than that right now. He doesn't know what else to want, but he's learning.

He's not used to getting what he wants.

He supposes he also wants to feel safe, but he already has that too. It's hard not to feel safe around Skull. Although, angels will expect Hana and Skull to put him in his 'place'.

That's not going to happen.

Skull… well, Skull wants very few things. Most of them include Tsuna. The rules of the angels don't allow that. Not really.

After all, angels don't like the fae. Which meant they didn't like Tsuna.

They liked him even less because he doesn't act the other fae in the upper city that were slaves of the angels that had captured them. Unlike them, his head is held high and he speaks when he please, although the biggest problem is that he walks right beside Skull.

Tsuna wasn't supposed to be Skull's equal, and by walking next to him he might as well be screaming ' _My rank is the same as his.'_

He enjoyed the confusion he caused. Sometimes he would get scandalized looks from angels he walked near and he would give them a toothy confrontational smile and then when they made a move towards him, Hana would give them a single look and they'd near piss themselves.

It was fun even though Hana complained about it. She didn't mean it though, and when she thought he wasn't looking she'd give him an amused grin.

He was sure that she enjoyed this as much as he did. Finally being in control after being controlled for so long.

Like a bird in a cage. Like a cloud being chained.

Tsuna's nose wrinkled at the thought. No one would be able to cage her or Skull. He would make sure of that.

The sharp sound of electricity makes him jump and he looks up at the source of the sound and frowns, worried. Power lines were lit up in ways they shouldn't be and sparks float to the ground around them.

With the same suddenness as the sparks, a wave of magic flew past them like wind, acting as an alarm of sorts, rushing through the city.

Something was trespassing.

Although it didn't seem to be a big deal. Angels on the streets seem to ignore it, even Hana kept walking.

Tsuna turned to where the magic came from but didn't see anything out of the ordinary and decided to keep walking.

"I'm guessing we don't need to worry about whoever that is?" he asked.

Hana doesn't even glance back at him, "Of course not. That signal they sent out was for a minor threat. Whoever it is the guards for today can take care of it."

When Tsuna looks up at Skull, the angel shrugs.

"It's moving rather quickly in this direction, so we're probably going to see it before the guards catch it," Skull announced, not looking bothered in the slightest.

Both Hana and Tsuna stop to look at him, but before they speak they see something scuttle by.

A fox. Or rather a Huli Jing.

"What in the world is a fox spirit doing here," Hana hissed in surprise.

Around then a couple of angels swooped in front of the fox, whose tails were between its legs. It backed up only to realize it was stuck between the guards and their group.

Tsuna frowned. It must be a child if it had just two tails.

One of the guards walked toward the kid, hand sparking with electricity.

"Stop!" Tsuna barked.

The guards look up at him in distaste. A fae had no right to talk to angels like that. Hana glanced back at Tsuna who gave her a pleading look.

"The kit is under my protection. Leave it be," she sighed.

Immediately the guards backed off, not willing to contradict one of the King's angels. With that, Tsuna went forward to pick the little fox up, who yipped and struggled but he paid no mind to that as he made his way back to his little pack.

"Miss Kurokawa we are under orders of the King to take the fox into custody."

"Like I care. Tell him that Skull wanted the thing, he won't object."

 _More like he won't be able to,_ Tsuna thought, struggling to keep ahold of the kit that kept trying to escape.

Uneasy with the turn of events, the guards take a while to leave, unwilling to oppose Hana but too afraid to face the King after not following a direct order.

When they're gone, Hana turns to him, glancing uneasily of the fox, "I'm going to get the microwave, take the brat home," and with that, she rushed off.

He noticed a shiver that ran up her spine as she left. There was no way she was afraid of a child fox spirit, so Tsuna could only wonder what all that was about.

However, with all the yipping and wild movements of the kit, Tsuna didn't have time to ponder about the odd behavior.

Skull walked next to Tsuna in silence as they made their way back home.

"You don't like it here," was how Skull started the conversation.

Strained by keeping from dropping the kit, who was now trying to chew on his arm, he growled, "What do you mean?"

"You don't like leaving the house and other angels freak you out. I've noticed, don't give me that look. It subtle, but you've been talking less, acting more paranoid."

Skull plucked the kit from his grasp and started carrying it.

Huffing in defense Tsuna murmured, "Can you blame me? Everyone seems like they're against each other. They're all looking for ways to hurt each other and it's disturbing. Not to mention all the looks, it was fun messing with them at first, but I don't want to constantly be fighting a battle without meaning."

"So you want to fight a battle with meaning?" Skull pinched lightly at the kit's nose when it tried to take a chunk out of him.

"We're stagnating here. At least I am. Do you like it here?" Tsuna asked, honestly curious.

"I don't like how you've drawn in on yourself," Skull stopped them for a moment to look Tsuna in the eyes, drawing closer, "I'm not staying here because I'm attached to this place. I'm staying here because I'm attached to _you._ "

Skull covers the kits mouth for a second so it won't chew on Tsuna before moving even closer and pressing his lips to the side of Tsuna's head.

"And you didn't answer the question. Do you want to fight a battle with meaning?" he repeats, pulling a blushing Tsuna with him as he begins to walk again.

"I… I don't know what I want. Before it was running from one form of authority or another. Suddenly having so much freedom is daunting. It'd be nice if everyone wasn't trying to fight the fae all the time. But that's not something I can change."

With a hum, Skull replied, "Why's that?"

"Because… because I'm only me. I couldn't fight with even the weakest angel here and win. I'm… nothing." Those words were choked, wavering.

"You convinced the King to give up Hana." Skull rebuked.

"Only because you were there," Tsuna muttered, self-deprecating.

"You're acting as if I did all the work. You forget that I'm not the kindest person. I wouldn't have saved Hana from the King if it weren't for you."

With a snort, Tsuna murmured, "You're practically the nicest person I know. No. You _are_ the nicest person I know."

"To you perhaps. But what stopped me from being any different from the King who takes what he wants, when he wants? What if I had been left to my own devices instead of being found by you? You don't know what I've done before, Tsuna. I've done terrible things that cannot be erased by a couple good deeds." Skull's tone hadn't changed, still soft, warm.

Tsuna looks at him sharply, worried, "Do you have anybody after you then? Because I won't let them touch you."

Snorting, Skull replied, "Of course that's the first thing you worry about. I don't, don't worry. What I'm trying to say is that we work better together. Without you around, who knows what I might do, and without me, you wouldn't have manpower."

"You're more than manpower to me, you know," Tsuna replied, ducking under a wing like he's been doing so often recently, "And did you just call me your moral compass?" Tsuna huffs.

"Perhaps."

They walk in silence for a while before Tsuna speaks again, "You're so much more than manpower. You were my first friend. The only person who didn't care that I was a fae and you're pack now, too."

"You're the only pack member I've ever had, and I've lived for a very long time. So I don't have much to go off of, but you are the best pack member I could've asked for," as Skull talks he doesn't look at Tsuna, instead he just continues to look ahead.

"I'll find you more people you can trust and lean on. I'll find people for our pack that you can trust and then you won't just have me."

"I'd love to see that happen," was the answer Tsuna got.

Tsuna leans up against him, "Me too."

He has to pull away when he almost get kicked in the face by the kit.

Skull starts laughing and Tsuna follows a second later.

When they make it back to the apartment complex they both have a couple of bite marks and scratches. Despite that, Tsuna feels lighter than he has since he entered the upper city.

Tsuna unlocks the door to the suite and lets Skull in before following behind him. As soon as the door closes behind them the angel put the kit down.

It immediately runs under a couch.

Suddenly there was another wave of magic rushing through the city. More panicked this time. Another alarm, Tsuna realized, as it hit him like a physical force.

Another alarm, but for something way more dangerous.

"We have company," Skull mutters looking over to the couch the kit ran under.

Tsuna doesn't have a chance to ask what he means before the rooms shifts. It feels like the floor beneath him had collapsed and the room turned a shade darker.

There's also a sudden sound that reminds Tsuna distinctly of nails on a chalkboard.

Someone is sitting on the couch the kit just ran under, where there hadn't been anyone a moment before.

"Such keen senses for an angel," they complement pleasantly.

They look human but Tsuna knows better because no human dares to enter the upper city. He knows better because he can see the man for what he really is through his shadow. As they smile, unnaturally wide and with teeth much too sharp, the fae feels the room shifts again as he counts, although this time it has nothing to do with magic.

 _Nine,_ Tsuna thought deliriously.

"Sorry for intruding, but it seems you have taken my apprentice."

Something slams against the front door and Tsuna doesn't know where to direct his attention.

"Ah, can you get that for me. It seems my nephew has come to visit," they smile politely, but it looks a little too playful to be apologetic for trespassing.

An aggressive angel is at his door and a celestial fox is sitting on their couch.

And ingrained fear doesn't disappear overnight. It doesn't.

Because Tsuna is shaking and the air might as well of been turned to the consistency of syrup, seeing as that he can't _breathe._

* * *

Any guesses as to who the fox is? I think I gave plenty hints as to who they might be, but who knows.

Either way, thank you so much to those that leave comments! I love hearing from you guys and it's also a great indicator of what I wasn't clear enough on and how to improve, so please keep it up!


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